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An Avoca man was arrested Thursday, two months after he sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl and a 13-year-old girl, borough police said.

The two girls asked an acquaintance and Facebook friend, Anthony Veina, 23, Main Street, to buy them cigarettes on July 31 and drove with him from Pittston to a Convenient Food Mart in Avoca. After he purchased the cigarettes, the three drove around the back alleys of the town and stopped behind a house, where Mr. Veina pulled out a knife from his center console and threatened to kill the girls if they told anyone about what happened, according to the criminal complaint.

He then locked them in the car while he went into his home, coming back out with a marijuana grinder, after which he rolled a blunt - a cigar filled with marijuana - police said.

Knife, drugs involved

Mr. Veina drove the girls toward Spring Brook Twp. on Route 502, smoked the blunt, then pulled the knife on the girls when they declined to smoke it with him, police said. He put the knife against the 14-year-old girl's side and leg and told her to smoke it or he'd kill her, she told police.

Mr. Veina then drove them back to his apartment, where he sprayed both of their mouths with some sort of breath spray, then led them into the house, according to the complaint.

Attack alleged

The man lay down on a bed, putting the knife down next to him, then pulled the younger girl on top of him and kissed her, according to the complaint. He pulled the older girl onto the bed with them, alternating kissing each of the girls and putting his hand down the younger girl's pants, though she repeatedly asked him to stop, police said.

The Times-Tribune does not identify victims of sexual assault.

The 14-year-old bit Mr. Veina on the lip when he kissed her again, police said.

Mr. Veina then drove the girls back to Pittston, where he again sprayed their mouths with breath spray and advised them to wash their clothes so they didn't smell, according to the complaint.

He is charged with aggravated indecent assault of persons less than 16 years old, indecent assault of persons less than 16 years old, indecent assault, terroristic threats and corruption of minors, police said.

Mr. Veina was released after posting $25,000 bail, police said. He is slated for a preliminary hearing Wednesday.

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